Aeroplane



G. L. BANKS.

AEROPLANE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 2, 1920.

Patented July 25, 1922.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

--IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII G. L. BANKS.

AEROPLANE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 2,1920.

1 A2%, 1 30, Patented July 25, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

GA/FO/PGE L BAN/1'5 INVENTOR.

w /Mam,

A TTORNEYS.

' arenas in. aAn'ns or WALNUT rA, cAtrroaarA.

AnaorLAryn.

14l=24lfll3lh Application filed. June 2,

To all whom it concern:

Be it known that I, Gnoeen L. "Banned citizen 3 of the United States, residing at Walnut Park, in the county of T405 Angeles and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Aeroplanes, of which the following is a specifica- J tlon.

This invention relates to aeroplanes and has for its object the provision of a propeller construction wherein the propeller may be shifted from its normal position with its axis of rotation lying ina plane approximately parallel to the plane of the wings of the aeroplane to a position in which the plane of the axis of rotation of the propeller is angularly disposed relative to the plane of the wings. By this arrangement the climbing possibilities of an aeroplane may be'greatly increased and the tendency of an aeroplane to nose dip may be overcome.

The invention "will be readily understood 7 from the following description of the accomp'anying draw ngs, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of an aeroplaneeonstructedin accordance withthe invention.-

2 is a top plan View of the same. Fig. .3 is a longitudinal section on the line 33 of Fig.- 4

L Fig. 4 is a transverse section. on the line e4 ofFig. a

The' aeroplane may comprise a-usual or any preferred construction of body 1- having the rudder 2 and the wings3 and 4c in superimposed normally substantially horizontal lanes. s

The central portions of the wings 3 and 4: are provided with openings 5 and 5 respectively, and the improved supporting mechanism for the propellerflis mounted upon the lower plane et over the'g'open'ingfi' therein. This supporting mechanism may include a frame 6 mounted upon the lowerwing 4 and having the arcuate guideway 7 extending longitudinally of the aeroplane and from one side to the other of the opening 5 in an upwardly extending bowabove thelatter. A similar arcuate cross brace, 8 is secured to the guideway 7 and extends atsubstantially right angles thereto from'one side to the other of the frame 6 over the' opening A shaft 9 extends'transversely of the aero lane above the opening 5' and is, preferab y, journaled. at its respective ends in lpietl'ings 10 up)?! the m :6 All r u te 'Spee ificati on of Letters Patent.

Patented an 25;, W22. iaaor- S erial lq'o eee'noa gear wheel 11 is free for. rotation upon with a usual propeller 17 beyond the front of the body and wings of the aeroplane.

The driving connection for bevel gear 16 L arranged to cause rotation of the propeller shaft and the propeller may include a shaft 18 journaled in a suitable bearing 19 within the body of the aeroplane and having a v v bevel pinion 20 meshing with bevel gear 16 and a bevel pinion 21 at its oppositeend meshing with a bevel ,pinionn22 upon the main shaft 23 of the motor .245 of the aero;

plane mounted within the body of the ma chine.

By this arrangement it will be seen. that I the propeller ,is adapted to be rotated irrespective of the position to which the gear wheel 11 and the propeller shaft are rotated upon the pivot formed byshaft 9. The gear wheel 11 is normally so positioned that the propeller shaft extends in .a plane substantially parallel to the planes of the wings, of i r the aeroplane as in the usual construction. But when it is desired to ascend in the aeroplane or' when the latter has started a nose dip the gear wheel 11 and the propeller shaft carried thereby are adapted to be rotated with shaft 9 so that the propeller shaft will be tilted upwardly relative to its normal plane. This upward tilt of the. propeller will cause'a corresponding ascension of the aeroplane as will be readily understood. 1

The propeller shaft and propeller are, pref erably, arranged to be tilted in this manner from normal position, as shown in full lines in Fig. 1, into the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1 in which the propeller shaft extends upwardly substantially perpendicular to the planes of the aeroplane wings. In this position the propeller will be in axial 'alinement with the openings 5 and 5 in the wings of the aeroplane, and: the rotation Qfi P PQHGZ T h pause the air to be forced through these" openings and as a consequence the aeroplane will ascend at a steep incline.

-The mechanism employedfor causing rotation of gearwheel 1-1 is, preferably, manually controlled by the pilot of the machine and may include a shaft 28 journaled in suitable bearings 29' formed upon guideway 7, said shaft havingaa worm gear 30 thereon meshing with the gear of gear wheel 11 which consists of a co-operating worm gear 31. The end of shaft. 28 extends to a point adjacent the pilots seat and is provided with actuating means shown, as a hand wheel 32.

It will be seen that the construction thus provided forms self-locking means whereby the gear wheel 11 will remain in adjusted positions, said gear wheel being adapted to be shifted upon the axisformed by shaft 9 to any desired position for causin desired up ward tilt of the propeller. he tendency of an aeroplane to nose dip may thus be overcome by the tilting of the propeller, as thus described, and such tilting of the propeller will also permit of making an ascension at a steep inclination when so deslred,

While I have described the invention as applied to an aeroplaneihaving means ar-"i ranged in two superimposed "planes it will to a machine, having-its wings arranged in any number of superimposed planes; Thus,

for example, in a monoplanetype of machine the supporting apparatus for the tiltable propeller would be: mounted directly upon the body of the machine and the single wing of,the machine would be provided with an opening above which the'propeller would extend when tilted into uppermost position. When the invention is applied to the type of machine having more than two superimposed wings it will be understood that.

all of the-wings above the supporting means for the tiltable propeller -willbe, provided with central openings, and the propeller, When tilted to its uppermost position, will be arranged in alinement with said openings .and above the uppermost wing.-

Various changes may be made without denear be apparent that the invention is applicable I a centrally arranged opening, one' side of ,red

parting from the claimed. a

spirit of the inyention as with an opening that extends to the forward edge of said wing, a gear wheel pivoted 'on the body of the aeroplane below the center of said opening and occupying a plane substantially perpendicular to the plane occupied by said wing, a propeller shaft carried by said gear wheel and extending radially thereof, a propeller carried by said shaft, a pinion concentrically mounted with relation to said gear wheel, a pinion upon the propeller shaft with which the first mentioned pinion engages, an engine having a driving connection with the first mentioned pinion for-rotating said propeller shaft, means for rotating said gear wheel to shift the propeller from itsnormal pos1- tionin a lane perpendicular to the wing to I a plane su stantially parallel with said wing, the shaft of the propeller beingof sufiicient length to permit the propeller to occupy a position above thewing when said propeller shaft is shifted into a vertical position, and the opening in'the wing having a diameter greater than the'length of the combined. propeller blades. t v

2. In anaeroplane, a Wing provided with which extends to the forward edge of said member through a vertical plane, a propeller shaft carried by said arcuate member, means for driving said propeller shaft, a propeller on the forward end ,of said shaft, the length "of whichtpropeller shaft'perniits; the propeller to occupy a position above the. opening in the'wing when said shaft'is shifted into a ,vertical position, and the opening 7 in said w-ing having' a diameter greater than the combined length of thepropeller blades. i

In testimony whereof I have signed my name, to this .s pecification.

GEORGE L. BA.NKS, I 

